Ration



May 22, 1923. f 1,456,493

C. P. BROCKWAY ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Filed Dec; 6, 19

I N R W Q E Q Mun QR? 5: a

Q INVENTOR.

Caf/ PB/vc/fnw y BY ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,455,4a3 Parana QFFIQE.

CARL 1. BROGKWAY, F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOB T0 INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH CORPO- RATION, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ENGINE-STARTING MECHANISM.

Application filed December 6, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARL P. BROOKWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starting Mechanism, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to engine starting mechanism particularly as applied to in ternal combustion engines and used with automotive vehicles.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic meshing and demeshing drive mechanism between the motor and engine,

the connection and disconnection being controlled by the relative speeds of the engine and motor parts.

A further object is the provision of a friction clutch which permits free .movement between the engine and motor immediately subsequent to the starting of the engine.

It is an object also to employ a spring element in the drive which is adapted to form a driving connection between the motor and drive pinion and also serve as a yielding element when the pinion slides axially on the shaft.

An additional object is the provision of a drive arrangement which permits instantaneous disconnection when the engine starts up.

Further objects and objects relating to economies and details of manufacture will become apparent as I proceed with the modification of the invention herein described and disclosed wherein- Figure I is a longitudinal elevation partly in section of the drive mechanism attached to the shaft of an electric motor; and,

Figure 11' is a fragmentary view looking along the drive toward the motor.'

In general the invention consists of a pinion loosely mounted on a sleeve which in turn is mounted on the shaft of a motor. Between the sleeve and shaft is a pin and slot or screw thread connection for advancing the sleeve axially on the shaft; and between the sleeve and pinion is a coil spring which binds these elements together only when the motor shaft is transmitting power and the engine is the load.

In the drawing the motor 1 is preferably of the conventional series type having an.

Serial No. 428,447.

armature 2 and radially extending lugs 8 p for attaching the motor to the engine or fly-wheel casing (not shown).

The shaft 4 of the motor is journalled in the motor casing at 5 and 6, rotating in bushings 7 and 8. The shaft of the motor is here shown as hollow for the purpose of readily and detachably securing the drive shaft 9 of the drive mechanism in axial extension with the motor shaft. For this purpose the inner portion 10 of the motor shaft wherein the drive is attached is tapered so as to diverge outwardly. The cor responding part 11 of the drive shaft is tapered so as to fit within the motor shaft and is held in position by means of a bolt 12 screw threaded in the end 13 of the drive shaft and extending beyond the end 14 of the motor shaft where a nut 15 is secured.

The drive mechanism proper embodies a sleeve 16, a coil spring 17 and a pinion 18, adapted to mesh with the fiy-wheel 19 of the internal combustion engine (not shown).

The sleeve 16 has at its outer end an interior flange 2O bearing on a portion 21 of the drive shaft 9 which has a diameter less than that of the part 9. The inner end of the sleeve bears on the enlarged portion 9 of the drive shaft and is connected thereto by a pin and slot connection including the pin 22 and slot 23.

Between the shoulder 24 formed at the junction of parts 9 and 21 of the drive shaft, and the flange 20of the sleeve, a coil contractilespring 25 is inserted which serves to maintain the sleeve at its outermost position on the drive shaft with the pin and inner end of the slot in contact.

The exterior of the sleeve 16 is formed in two portions 26 and 27, the part 27 having a lesser diameter than the part 26. Mounted on the part 27 is the pinion 1.8 which is adapted to have free rotative movement on the sleeve but limited axial movement, said latter movement being stopped at a collar 29 on the inner end of the sleeve and by the shoulder 28 toward the outer end of the sleeve. The pinion is formed with an outer extension 30 which is adapted to contact with the shoulder 28 when the pinion is moved outwardly.

The outer end of the part 26 of the sleeve has a collar 31 secured thereto and to this col r fixed ne end. f the rive spr n 17. The spring 17 is of the coil type, and each coil is flattened axially to give maximum resistance to radial contraction due to torsion and minimum resistance to axial contraction.

The inner end of the spring 17 is fastened to a collar 32 loosely mounted on the pinion extension 30. The spring adjustment is such that the collar 32 is held in frictional engagement with the outer ends of the teeth 33 formed on the pinion 18; and this spring pressure also maintains the pinion at the inner limit of its possible axial movement, against the collar 29.

The pinion extension 30 and sleeve part 26 are tapered slightly toward the shaft axis as shown at 3 1- and 35 so as to permit radial contraction of the drive spring 17 when working under load thus imparting a degree of resiliency to the mechanism.

The inner ends 36 of the pinion teeth -33 are curved so as to aid enmeshment with. the fly wheel gear 37. This latter gear is cut on an annular extension from the periphery of the engine fly-wheel as clearly indicated in the drawing.

While not essential for successful operation of the drive it is advantageous to have a friction device 38 which will now be described.

A' support 39 is mounted in the motor casing adjacent the shaft, as by screw threads 40. The support is in the form of rod, the outer end ll of which is of narrowed diameter and carries the friction element 412 thereupon. This friction element is mounted for partial rotation on the bearing; 41, a pin 43 fastened to the support 39 contacting with a projection 4 .4 forlimiting the rotation of the element in one direction. For restraining movement of the element in the reverse direction a coil spring 45 mounted on the bearing 4C1 adjacent the friction element 462 one end46 of which spring contacts with the pin 43 and the other end 47 contacts with a pin 48 fixed on the friction element. The friction element and coil are retained on the bearing 11 by means of a cotter pin 49.

i The friction element has a bearingsurface 50 adapted to contact with the collar 32, the collar and friction element being normally held yieldingly in engagement by means of the s ring 45. The bear surface 50 is eccentric relative to hearing 11 so that rotation of the collar 32 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure U will not he hindered by the element 49 beyond the frictional resistance induced by the spring 45; but rotation of the collar in the reverse direction will cause the friction element to wedge under the collar. thereby tending to prevent rotation of the collar.

The operation of the mechanism will now bexdescribed. It assumed that the motor shaft has a normal direction of rotation such as indicated by the arrow and that the drive mechanism is at the outer end of the shaft as shown in Figure I. The initial rotation of the motor shaft will, by virtue of the inertia of the drive unit, cause the shaft pin 22 to slide in the slot 23 thus drawing the sleeve and attached element to the right, the pinion meshing with the fly-wheel.

When the pin rests in the outer extremity of the slot power from the shaft is applied directly to the sleeve which then takes up the speed of the shaft. Since the spring 17 is fixed to the sleeve and inasmuch as the inner end of the spring is frictionally retarded through the collar 32 by reason of the friction device 42 and the non-rotation of the pinion the spring binds both on the sleeve and on the extended portion of the pinion thereby forming a driving connection from the sleeve to the pinion.

Because of the conical formation of the sleeve and pinion extension the spring large-- lv absorbs the initial shock of the load as it conforms to this surface and variation in the load in starting is taken up by radial movement of the spring relative to this surface.

Should the pinion fail to mesh properly with the fly-wheel gear at the initial movement of the mechanism.v the pinion will be mowed outwardly against the expansion force of the spring 17 until the pinion, by reason of the increased friction to which it is subjected, rotates sufficiently to permit proper engagement.

ll hen the engine starts up ,under its own power. the pinion is speeded up in the direction of the applied motor force thereby liberating the grip of the spring on the pinion and permitti g the spring 25 .to function in moving out the sleeve, this movement being aided by the impetus given the sleeve by its frictional connection to the pinion through collar 32.

In the event that the engine should reverse during the starting operation the cocentrically curved friction element 42 would bind the collar thus preventing injury to the motor consequent to a sudden reversal of rotation.

I am awarcthat the specific embodiment glues. the combination of a drive shaft; a

sleeve mounted on the shaft for limited rotary and axial movementga pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve; and. a spring element fixed to the sleeve and frictionally associated with the pinion and operative to form a driving connection between the shaft and pinion when the engine is being started.

2. In a starting mechanism for gas engines, the combination of a drive shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited axial movement on the shaft; a pinion on the sleeve; and a spring fixed to the sleeve and yieldingly and frictionally associated with said pinion.

i 3. In an engine starting device, the combination of a motor having a drive shaft; a sleeve mounted on the shaft for limited axial and rotary movement; a pinion loosely mountedon the sleeve; and a spring fixed to the sleeve and yieldingly associated with said pinion.

4-. In a starting mechanism for gas engines the combination of a drive shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited rotary movement on the shaft; a pinion on the sleeve; and a yieldable element secured to the sleeve and frictionally associated with said pinion.

5. A starting device for gas engines, comprising a motor shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited axial and rotary movement on the shaft; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve, said pinion having a tubular extension; a coil spring fixed to the sleeve at one end, the coils of said spring snrrounding a portion of the pinion extension and adapted to bind on the extension when the shaft is rotated in a direction to wind up the spring.

6. A starting device for gas engines, comprising a motor shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited axial and rotary movement on the shaft; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve, said pinion having a tubular extension; coil spring fixed to the sleeve at one end and coiled freely about the pinion extension at the other end; and friction means intermediate the free end of the spring and the pinion operative to cause binding of the spring on the extension when the pinion is in engagement with a load and the drive shaft is rotated in a direction to wind up the spring.

7 A starting device for gas engines comprising a motor shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited axial and rotary movement on the shaft; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve said pinion having a tubular extension; a coil spring fixed to the sleeve at one end and fixed to a friction collar at the other end; said spring overlying the pinion extension and said. collar bearing yieldingly against the pinion,

8. A starting device for gas engines comprising a motor shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited axial and rotary movement on the shaft; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve said pinion having a tubular extension; a coil spring fixed to the sleeve at one end and fixed to friction collar at the wind the sprin other end; said spring overlying the pinion extension and said collar bearing yieldingly against the pinion; and additional frictional means normally in frictional engagement with said collar, operative to retard the free end of the spring when said spring is rotated on the drive shaft in a direction to wind the spring.

9. A starting device for gas engines comprising a motor shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited axial and rotary movement on the shaft; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve, said pinion having a tubular extension; a coil spring fixed to the sleeve at one end and fixed to a friction collar at the other end; said spring overlying the pinion extension and said collar bearing yieldingly against the pinion; and additional frictional means normally in frictional engagement with said collar, operative to retard the free end of the spring when said spring is rotated on the drive shaft in a direction to said additional frictional means being supported independently of the drive shaft.

10. A starting device for gas engines comprising a motor sha. t; a sleeve mounted for limited axial and rotary movement on the shaft; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve said pinion having a tubular extension; a coil spring fixed to the sleeve at one end and fixed to a friction collar at the other end; said spring overlying the pinion extension and said collar bearing yieldingly against the pinion; and additional frictional means normally in frictional engagement with said collar, operative to retard the free end of the spring when said spring is rotated on the drive shaft in a direction to wind the spring, and to prevent rotation of the spring when power is transmitted from the pinion in a direction to wind the spring.

11. In an engine starting mechanism, the combination of a drive shaft; a sleeve mounted on the shaft for limited rotary and axial movement; a pinion having an axial extension loosely mounted on the sleeve; and a. coil spring enveloping the pinion extension and a portion of the sleeve and fixed to the sleeve, said sleeve portion and extension having a variable diameter whereby certain coil elements of the spring move radially a greater distance than others when the spring wound upon. the sleeve and extension.

12 A starting mechanism for gas engines comprising a drive shaft; a sleeve mounted on the shaft for limited rotary and axial movement, said sleeve having a variable external diameter; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve; an axial extension on the sleeve integral with the pinion, said exten sion having a variable external diameter; a coiled spring about the extension and sleeve portion having a variable diameter, one end of the spring bein fixed to the sleeve; and

frictional means between the spring and pinion adapted to retard the end of the spring adjacent the pinion when power is being transmitted from the shaft to the pinion thereby causing the spring to bind on the variable diameter extension and sleeve. 1

13, In a starting mechanism, the combination of a drive shaft a sleeve mounted on the shaft, a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve for either unlimited rotary or limited axial movement; and a yielding driving connection between the sleeve and pinion.

14. In a starting mechanism, the combination of a drive shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited axial movement on the shaft; a pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve for either unlimited rotary or limited axial movement;

a yielding driving connection between the sleeve and pinion; and means for normally holding said sleeve at one limit of its axial movement.

, 15. In a drive mechanism, the combination of a drive shaft; a sleeve mounted for limited movement on the shaft through a spin and slot connection; a pinion mounted on the sleeve for axial movement thereupon; a spring fixed to the sleeve and adapted to form a yielding drive connection between the sleeve and pinion and to hold the pinion yieldingly at one limit of its axial movement; and resilient means tending to hold normally the sleeve at one limit of its movement, said pinion being freely rotatable on the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature;

CARL P. BROCKWA Y. 

